PULMONARY FIBROSIS ASSOCIATED WITH POLYMYALGIA-RHEUMATICA

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and exacerbated pulmonary fibrosis presen ted concurrently in a 69-year-old woman with a 5-year history of idiop athic interstitial pneumonia. The radiographic and histological examin ations suggested usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) as a more likely d iagnosis. Corticosteroid therapy resulted in relief of the patient's m uscle symptoms and improvement in the functional and radiographical si gns of the pulmonary fibrosis. The final diagnosis was pulmonary fibro sis associated with PMR, because PMR is believed to be one of the caus es contributing to interstitial lung diseases.